Summer School Lovin'

Gardening for Creative Occupations

I’ve finally decided to write about summer classes. Not going to lie, I didn’t have the drive to write about it before. It had left a bad taste in my mouth after everything that happened to my mom. But, I’m feeling more positive about it and want to share summer school experiences with you.

Summer classes can be a huge drag. I have taken many summer courses before and to say they can be a bit painful is a gross understatement. Fortunately, our professors at the U of U are very sympathetic to our restless summer selves. They work really hard to keep everyone engaged and on track. Classes are broken down two mini semesters, each lasting three weeks. Each mini semester has two classes, which cumulatively amount to six hours of class each day, which can make for pretty long days.

First round of classes includes Creative Occupations and an OT theory class. The Creative Occupations class may be the most popular course taught in my program. We get to analyze different occupations and dissect the physical, and cognitive demands of the task. Basically, we got to make bird feeders, quilt, hand sew, do car maintenance, make origami, and make fires-- it’s awesome.

Kentucky Durby Day, because why not?

The OT theory class is well constructed to solidify a lot of the theory we have learned about in OT. It’s pretty intense and my brain was always fried by the end of the day. But Dr. Price does an amazing job implementing different teaching strategies to make theory more digestible. Also, she is always open to comments and feedback--which I always greatly appreciate in a professor!

Frosting cupcakes with low vision goggles 

Second half of the semester consisted of our second seminar two class, where you learn about manual muscle testing, and measuring active and passive range of motion. It feels really good to be more hands on. Also, you get to learn about transfers, which are a lot easier than you’d think. Finally, we have an aging and wellness class. There is a lot of reading attached to this class, but it’s all really interesting to anyone who loves health and wellness (which should be everyone in OT). There is a large project for this class, where you develop a wellness program outlined by the objectives for Healthy People 2020.

Learning about car mechanics like a boss

Summer school has come to a close, and summer vacation has been so so welcomed. Although school is still school, regardless of how you wrap it, classes were pretty fun. Also, we got to celebrate the completion of our first year in OT school! We still have two years ahead of us, but every step counts. Classes for the fall start again Monday (can you see how much I’ve procrastinated this post??). Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to being with my classmates again.

Onto a new chapter.

Liza

Back to School Bucket List

Where did summer go? There are only a few short weeks until I’m back on the school grind. I’m a little torn between being very excited, and also anticipating how crazy this semester is going to be. One of the differences I’ve noticed between year one and year two of OT school is how the newby nerves have calmed down. I was so excited and nervous to start grad school, this time around I feel a lot more relaxed and prepared.

As much as I love school, it’s important to forget about it for a while. After summer semester there is a lovely six week break between summer and fall. It has been amazing. I’ve been able to forget about classes, responsibilities, and studying. However, fall classes are right around the corner, so I decided to put together a bucket/getting-ready-for-fall list.

1. Go somewhere new. Getting out of Salt Lake for a few weeks always helps me push the refresh button. There is something thrilling about seeing a new piece of the world. Whether that’s in your home state, or on the other side of the country. Get outside and experience something different. Travel, whether it’s for a few weeks or a few days. Just go do something! I went on a mini camping trip to Bear Lake with my roommate. We had an amazing time exploring, swimming, and improvising our adventure. I think being uncomfortable in new situations is very healthy. It pushes you to do something different and be more independent. Also, I got to use my fire building skills that I learned during Summer semester, so double bonus.

   

   Bear Lake, UT

2. Read for the sake of reading. Very rarely as a graduate student you get to select what you want to read. Take the summer as an opportunity to read something NOT related to school. Enjoy every second that the reading you are doing is not a requirement of your program, rather that it’s something you get to do for you. You will never regret the time spent between the pages of a good book. One of the books I read was Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. To say it was amazing is an understatement. She is hilarious, witty, and I wish I could write like her.
   
   

1. Spend lots of time with your family and friends. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve sent texts to friends during the semester apologizing for my lack of communication. It’s really hard to balance school and your social life. Granted, you should definitely make time to see your friends and family during the semester--it’s just more of a challenge. During the summer you have a lot more free time, spend it wisely.
2. Order your textbooks early. I hate getting through the first week of class and not having the required books. We’ve all procrastinated purchasing textbooks at some point--they are expensive and heavy and a little depressing to buy. I typically buy/rent my textbooks through Amazon.com. They are usually the cheapest and it’s really nice not having to go to the bookstore. Amazon also allows you to rent textbooks, so if you don’t want to keep your copy at the end of the semester you can send it back for a fraction of buying it. Here’s one of the pediatric books we are using this semester.
3. Get into a regular gym routine. I have the hardest time maintaining a consistent gym schedule during the semester. I love working out and reap the benefits of getting some serious exercise. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed with school and skip a day or two. Establish a routine before the chaos of the semester sets in, this will help keep you mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. I like signing up for classes held at the Student Life Center, they are really inexpensive if you attend all the classes and keep me disciplined. During spring semester one of my classmates and I signed up for a TRX class together. It was awesome having a buddy to keep me motivated and accountable. Also, the U of U does a free week for all of their classes the first week of school. That way you can try out all the exercise classes for no cost. It’s a win-win.

All in all, I love the beginning of the year. I get overly excited/nerd out on everything I get to learn. I love what I do, and I love with whom I get to learn. What more can one ask for?

Being On the Other Side of Healthcare

June 12th, I received the worst phone call of my life. My mom was in the ICU having untreatable seizures. Initially, I was not concerned. The hospital was asking about her insurance information, so I assumed the worst was over. This was also not the first time she had experienced a seizure.

Mom has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder for the past seven years. She managed them very well and was seizure-free for nearly five years. The thought of her seizing again was the farthest thing from my mind. And if she did, I thought the seizure was over and she was likely waking up. Initially, the hospital asked for her insurance information (which I didn’t know). I thought since they wanted to healthcare info she was stable and on the mend from the exhaustion that grand mal seizures cause. It took me 30 minutes to be informed that my mom had been seizing for the past hour and was not responding to the medication.

The next 24 hours were a blur of phone calls, tears, and panic. My mom was in another state, my dad was on a trip with shotty cell service, and my brother and I were left trying to figure out what to do. Hours felt like days. Keith and I tried to be patient and wait for the hospital to call us with any information about my mom’s condition-- but in all honesty the hospital was on speed dial. That night was utter chaos. With each hospital personnel we spoke with the diagnoses changed, from seizures, to heart attack, to sepsis. I have never been more scared in my life.

This story has a happy ending. My mom survived. She proved to be a fighter we know her to be. Her neurologist diagnosed and treated her for viral encephalitis in the medial temporal lobe. Encephalitis is insanely rare. The Mayo Clinic reported fewer than 200,000 cases in the US each year--that’s about .06%. She spent five days in the ICU, and was then transferred to the general floor for observation for another three.

Being a student in healthcare has its advantages and disadvantages. Throughout our time in the hospital, I was able to follow mom’s tests and treatments that the doctors prescribed. I was able to identify her progress and learn how to read the machines hooked up to her. However, it also gives you a grave realization of how serious illness can be. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Being in healthcare can give you a huge advantage. You get to use your expertise to help someone overcome unfortunate circumstances. You are the expert who knows what’s going on, and hopefully, how to fix it. That is one of the reasons I love this field. However, realizing how little control we have over our bodies is humbling, and also terrifying. Being on the other side, as a patient’s family is a whole other ball game. It’s scary, and uncertain, and vulnerable. Knowing about the body makes you realize how little we know about the body.

So, from being on the receiving end, this is what I advise my friends who will be doctors, nurses, and therapists. I’ve learned a lot through this nightmare. It’s opened my eyes to see what hurts and what helps.

First, check in with patients and their caregivers. Nothing was more comforting than talking with my mom’s nurses and having them explain what was going on, thoroughly. Seeing the staff sit down with us and answer all our questions was so comforting and built a lot of trust with us and the hospital staff. I have nothing but good things to say about all of my mom’s doctors, nurses, and therapists. They were amazing, and let us come and go as we needed. There were many days my dad would get to the hospital at 5 AM for rounds, he was always welcomed.

Second, be honest and straightforward with treatment and prognoses. The nurses and doctors were very open with us about my mom’s progress. They did not shy away from telling us their concerns. Personally, it was reassuring to know they were being straight shooters with their information. They told us when mom was doing better, but also kept us in the loop of other possible concerns. It’s hard to explain the relationships built in this circumstance. But the hospital staff made us feel welcomed, supported, and a vital part of my mom’s recovery. The warmth and compassion I received from the hospital staff is indescribable. They felt like family. They were just as invested in my mom’s recovery as we were. I’ve never experienced so much love and support from complete strangers.

As future healthcare providers, we hold a responsibility to our clients, their families, and ourselves to provide the best care possible. No exceptions, no excuses. I’ve seen the power that a unified team can provide to a patient. It’s life changing, and life saving. This should be the standard we all aspire to reach and maintain throughout our careers. Maintaining humility, compassion, and the desire to help others should be the foundation. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our clients.